The Political Season The political season is underway in Indonesia. Its political parties have begun announcing their candidates for President, although none have yet chosen their Vice-Presidential candidates. President Jokowi cannot run for a third term and attempts to extend his time because of the pandemic have been unsuccessful. What then should we be
March Crazy Weather Commentary by Wayne Forrest Where I live, 20 miles north of New York City, March is a complete mix of weather patterns. Snow one day, warm temperatures the next. “In like a lion and out like a lamb”, goes the saying. To read about developments in Indonesia is to experience this
Issue To Watch: Outlook for 2023 Commentary by Wayne Forrest As we predicted last January, Indonesia’s 2022 economic performance outstripped 2021, itself a return to growth following the first year of the pandemic. It was more than just government spending and higher mineral prices that helped boost GDP to over 5.0% by Q3: manufacturing
Outlook 2021 January 2021 By Wayne Forrest A large, red-tailed hawk landed on a tree outside my study just as I sat down to write this month's commentary. Some say that if you have a hawk sighting you are ready to take on a larger, more expansive vision of your world. I take it as
Labor Day 2020 September 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest With unemployment at record levels in both the US and Indonesia amidst an ongoing pandemic I've been reflecting on Indonesia's struggle to find meaningful employment for her growing population of 270 million. Of course, our two nations do not share Labor Day: Indonesia observes International
REMOVING A PEBBLE IN THE SHOE Commentary by Wayne Forrest Back in the Soeharto era, Indonesia’s very gifted diplomat, Ali Alatas, used to say about East Timor ( a province with a strong separatist movement that caused major diplomatic problems) that it was “the pebble in Indonesia’s shoe”. East Timor achieved independence after Soeharto’s
I will be visiting Indonesia next week and will likely be asked about President Trump's trade policy, articulated in his recent executive orders. Will Indonesia, one of 16 countries under review with a large trade deficit, be penalized. Is it really a trade "cheater" ? The US runs a congenital deficit with Indonesia mostly because
There’s a lot of regret going around these days. Democrats, who lost a close election, no doubt regret they didn’t do more to convince Midwest rust belt voters worried about their future that they had a viable jobs plan. President Trump regrets he didn’t win the popular vote — although he seems to actually think
Two years into his 5 year term President Jokowi is exhibiting some of the qualities of former President Suharto. I say this not to compare them in any fundamental way - Jokowi is not an authoritarian- but to illustrate the process by which each consolidated power in the early years after they became President. Jokowi
Indonesia has released the second of three deregulation/stimulus packages designed to boost a flagging economy and strengthen the exchange rate. The first (released September 10) was primarily an exercise in reducing red tape and regulatory confusion in the trade arena and did not garner a lot of attention and praise, perhaps because its hard to